THE PERIOD PIECE

What are the phases of the cycle, and what happens during each phase?

The menstrual cycle is made up of two distinct halves, called phases. The first half, or follicular phase, lasts from menstruation to ovulation, and the second half, or luteal phase, is from ovulation to menstruation. Ovulation and menstruation each take about five days, and because there are (on average) about 28 days in a cycle, there are about nine to 10 days in the follicular phase, and about nine to 10 days in the luteal phase. During the follicular phase, the egg in the ovary ripens and produces the hormone oestrogen. During ovulation the egg “pops” out of the